The Little Things 4K Review (Warner Bros.)

The Little Things is a 2021 crime thriller film written, produced, and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, The Alamo, The Blind Side, The Founder, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, Saving Mr. Banks, and The Highwaymen). It was produced by Mark Johnson (Diner, The Natural, Rain Man, Bugsy, Donnie Brasco, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Mayfair Witches, The Holdovers, Shooter, Sniper, and Good Morning, Vietnam). It was first developed in 1993, Clint Eastwood, Warren Beatty, and Danny DeVito were all attached to direct at one point. It was released in theaters and on HBO Max the same day. The budget was $30 million and it grossed $29.8 million at the box office worldwide. Kern County deputy sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (played by: Denzel Washington from Training Day, Fallen, Ricochet, American Gangster, The Equalizer franchise, Malcolm X, He Got Game, Remember the Titans, and Man on Fire) is called to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to collect evidence pertaining to a recent murder. Deacon, a former L.A. Sheriff’s detective accompanies recently appointed lead detective Jimmy Baxter (played by: Rami Malek from Mr. Robot, Bohemian Rhapsody, Papillon, No Time to Die, The Amateur, and Oldboy) to the scene of a new murder in L.A. Deacon notices similarities between the M.O. of the killing and the M.O. of an old serial murder case he was unable to solve. His past starts to haunt him working on this new investigation. Later that night, Ronda Rathbun (played by: Maya Kazan from Boardwalk Empire, The Knick, Blood Moon, Sleepy Hollow, and Mosaic) is followed by a car while jogging and is reported missing the following morning. Baxter learns from the precinct’s captain Farris (played by: Terry Kinney from OZ, Sleepers, Sleepers, The Firm, Billions, and Body Snatchers) that Deacon got divorced and suffered a heart attack due to his obsession with the unsolved case. Baxter is advised not to involve Deacon any further, but Deacon takes vacation leave to assist in solving Baxter’s case. The next night, the police discover the body of another victim washed up beneath a bridge. Baxter learns the M.O. is consistent with that of the earlier murder and others: the victims were all prostitutes stabbed to death. Deacon begins investigating Albert Sparma (played by: Jared Leto from American Psycho, Suicide Squad, Blade Runner 2049, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Urban Legend, and Requiem for a Dream), a suspect working at a repair store in proximity to the murders. While under interrogation, Sparma taunts the detectives and is released after provoking Deacon into an angry outburst. Baxter and Deacon go to Sparma’s apartment and conduct an illegal search. As Deacon searches the apartment, a police scanner goes off, and he escapes from Sparma’s home after Sparma calls in an “officer down”. Will Deacon’s obsession ruin the case? or Will he finally catch the serial killer that’s been traumatizing his life for decades???? The Little Things has been in development since 1993 and it took forever due to it’s dark subject. This was one of the first big features from Warner Bros to premier on HBO Max the same day as theaters. It kinda has a Se7en vibe to it. All of three leads are Oscar winners and that definitely increases the quality for this production. Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto were all on the top of their game in this serial killer thriller. Especially Leto, he was really creepy and you didn’t know what he was going to do next with his character. The Little Things had a great supporting cast that included Terry Kinney, Chris Bauer (8MM), Natalie Morales (Stuber), Joris Jarsky (Saw V), Glenn Morshower (Black Hawk Down), Michael Hyatt (Nightcrawler), Isabel Arraiza (Outer Range), Sofia Vassilieva (Medium), Jason James Richter (Free Willy franchise), Judith Scott (Snowfall), and Frederick Koehler (Death Race franchise). The Little Things was very tense and suspenseful. The script had some nice thrills and twists. I really enjoyed how this mainstream feature wasn’t shy about being dark and gruesome when it came to the killings. I do realize this one had a very very very controversial ending which caused lots of people to completely like not the movie after it was done despite enjoying it before the finale. I actually really liked it because it was a legit twist and it threw me off, I didn’t see that coming at all so I appreciated the surprise with it. I think this one is kinda under-rated and it’s much better than it’s reputation in my honest opinion, RECOMMENDED!!!! Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from Warner Bros! This 2160p (2.39:1) with Dolby Vision and HDR10 has a nice grimy atmosphere going for it with some slick cinematography. It has a few different audio options which includes English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, and English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks on the UHD. It has a really nice boost to it especially during the suspenseful sections here. All of the dialogue is very clean and the music is elevated here. It has English SDH subtitles on the disc. Let’s discuss the special features from Warner Bros! “Four Shade of Blue” is a little over 9 minutes. It has interviews with film critics Wade Major, Tim Cogshell, and others. They break down 4 different films and characters where Washington played a police officer for Warner Bros which includes Ricochet, Fallen, Training Day, and The Little Things. They bring up Eastwood a few times as the other only iconic actor to really dominate this type of role for the studio over the years. It’s an interesting look into how the Oscar winner completely portrayed the law in a various of different ways here. “A Contrast In Styles” is almost 8 minutes. It has interviews with director John Lee Hancock, actors Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto, and others. It’s a behind the scenes look into the film. They break down their characters. They chat about collaborating with each other on The Little Things. They bring up their chemistry, praise, and different styles. They go over the interrogation scene. It’s available everywhere right now including MovieZyng.com, CHECK IT OUT!!!!